In the field of wiring homes and buildings, whether for new construction or for improvements or expansion, substantial development and product improvements have been made. Typically, these improvements are directed to enabling installers to securely and safely mount any desired wiring to any desired location in the most efficient and quickest manner.
In any particular installation or location, various conduits or cables must be interconnected to each other as well as connected to the primary power supply in a suitable power distributing outlet box, junction box, meter box, or other enclosure. In these instances, flexible metal conduit and/or armor or metalclad cables within which the electrical power carrying wires are contained, must be securely mounted to the housing of a junction box or outlet box, or connected to an appropriate solid or rigid metal tubing or conduit.
In addition, in order to assure that the installed conduits or cables and the electrical power carrying wires contained therein are properly and safely installed for operation, power distributing outlet boxes, junction boxes, meter boxes, and other similar enclosures typically incorporate grounding conductors which are interconnected to the power supply and extend from the particular box to a properly installed grounding rod/conductor or remote grounded location. In this way, all of the power carrying wires installed in the particular home or building are properly connected to a grounded location.
In 2008, various Articles of the National Electric Code (NEC) were rewritten to define new requirements for Intersystem Bonding Termination. In this regard, requirements for installing a bonding connection point for communication systems were specifically defined. Due to the numerous instances in which homes, electrical systems, electronic equipment, communication equipment, and the like were destroyed or severely damaged by uncontrolled events such as lightning, power surges, etc., the new requirements were established to provide an effective and reliable intersystem bonding termination which should reduce or eliminate the difficulties and damage that has been encountered.
In accordance with the new requirements, the intersystem bonding termination establishes a device which provides a connecting point for communication grounding and bonding systems to the electrical service equipment. In achieving this goal, the intersystem bonding terminations must employ either (1) a set of terminals mounted and electrically connected to the meter enclosure, (2) a bonding bar near the service or meter equipment and closure or close to the raceway for the service conductors, or (3) the installation of a bonding bar near the grounding electrode conductor.
Although these requirements have been in existence for several years, commercially available products which are capable of achieving the desired mounted connections are both limited and expensive. Typically, these prior art products incorporate components which are expensive to manufacture due to tolerance requirements for enabling these components to be secured to the desired grounding rod/grounding conductor. Consequently, a need exists in the industry for the production of effective products, such as bonding bars or grounding bridges, which are capable of being employed to satisfy the requirements for the intersystem bonding termination and are capable of being manufactured inexpensively, while also providing a high quality, highly effective and easily employed product.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an intersystem grounding bridge which is capable of being easily installed in any desired location for being secured to a grounding rod or grounding electrode conductor by incorporating of a split-bolt portion forming part of an elongated housing of an intersystem grounding bridge.
A further object of the present invention is an intersystem grounding bridge with an elongated housing which includes a plurality of apertures, each for receipt of a grounding wire/conductor associated with a communication system component.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an intersystem grounding bridge having the characteristic features described above which is manufactured from easily produced components, thereby achieving a safe, effective, and cost efficient product.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an intersystem grounding bridge having the characteristic features described above which virtually eliminates complicated installation techniques and achieves an easily installed product which is capable of being used by individuals having widely varied experiences.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an intersystem grounding bridge having the characteristic features described above which enables the entire assembly and mounted engagement to be achieved quickly and easily by a single individual.
A further object of the present invention is an intersystem grounding bridge which further incorporates a protective structure that effectively covers the electrically conductive elongated housing to which the grounding wires/conductors of communication system components and the grounding rod/conductor are installed.
Other and more specific objects will in part be obvious and well in part appear hereinafter.